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Nature of the current used speaker market

What do you think of the current market for used speakers above the $6,000 price point?  It seems to me like the market is soft, really soft, since I keep seeing the same speakers posted for sale over and over again by the same seller.  And these are top flight speakers from solid manufacturers such as Focal, B&W, Rockport, Sonus Faber, etc.  Does this mean the number of audiophiles and audio enthusiasts is on the wane, or is there just a glut of used speakers for sale out there? 
mtrot
michaelgreenaudio's avatar
michaelgreenaudio
1,019 posts
 

Sound or Gear?

Most audiophiles have left the building and are enjoying their music collections not feeding their equipment closets anymore. J Gordon is gone and so is Harry. Dave is gone and the others are in their 70's and 80's. The discrete HEA equipment era is winding down and we shouldn't be surprised, or sad about it. 

Raise your hands, how many of you still want to go out and spend 40-100k on something that is obsolete? I'm not asking what you did spend, I'm asking, going to spend?

It's like being in the store past closing and the announcements are coming over the PA "please finish making your selections and bring them to the counter". Then there's the guys still trying to sell 80 pound toaster ovens to folks looking at the latest and more efficient cookers.

Look around guys. There are threads on here talking about if one thinks a soundstage is important, and guess what, most are answering as if they've never been able to create a stage. That same guy is going to once again spend the big bucks one more time? I don't think so. Seeing that wall of components in ones living room doesn't hold the same status as it did. Again the serious audiophile for the most part has either left the building or gotten serious about their sound.

Used speaker market above 6k? I would imagine there are stock piles upon stock piles. I would even imagine it won't be long before you can't give them away.

Michael

inna
7,296 posts
 
In fact, $6k for excellent speakers is not much if you keep them for a long time. We pay more for cell phones and cable. I personally am just not in the mood to finance audiophile purchases, and credit card rates are not good. 
I do think that audiophile pool, perhaps outside Michael's flock or herd, whichever he prefers, has been shrinking.
My question was rhetorical - nothing is big these days.
orpheus10
8,668 posts
 

Michael, I find your post very interesting; while the ages are true, I disagree about how that affects the market. The older a person gets, the less active he becomes; few live concerts, no trips to the museum or a host of other trips that were made with glee (my cameras are just gathering dust); Consequently, "high end audio" is the biggest enjoyment for an aging audiophile.

Evidently, you and many others have no problem in affording this expensive hobby, and don't realize that has become a problem for an "abnormal" number of people.

Once a person reaps the benefit of a perfect holographic soundstage, he's hooked for the rest of his life. (you gave the reason I didn't engage in that soundstage thread; it took me years to get the one I have)


This is what you stated; "Used speaker market above 6k? I would imagine there are stock piles upon stock piles. I would even imagine it won't be long before you can't give them away."

If that is true, it's because the economic situation of the masses has changed more than we are led to believe, not because there is no market for those speakers. If the economic situation of all the older audiophiles on a fixed income changed, those speakers would be swept up in an instant.


Post removed 
jacksky
100 posts
 
Orpheus,
i disagee. The problem is not that economic conditions are holding people back from buying 6k speakers.
i went to the NY audio show in November, majority of people walking around were 60+ , very depressing.
Compare that to when I was young hanging out in Crazy Eddiie’s original store, a bunch of doctors and dentists and young Wall Street types getting “salesjobbed” laying down serious money.
the money hasn’t disappeared, the interest has.
on another note, speakers shouldn’t depreciate like cars. My Andra I’s shouldn’t be worth 20% of what the Andra III’s cost.  I just don’t think there is an 80% improvement in the sound.
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